Mississippi governor signs bill legalizing medical marijuana

JACKSON, ma’am. (CBS)

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves on Wednesday signed a bill legalizing the use of medical marijuana for certain patients. The state has now become the 37th state in the nation to enact legislation legalizing the medicinal use of cannabis, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

“There is no doubt that there are individuals in our state who could do significantly better if they had access to prescribed doses of cannabis,” Reeves said in a statement after signing the bill. medical prescription.

By law, people with a “fatal health condition” can legally use medical marijuana in the state and obtain the registration identification card needed to purchase the drug. Registered designated carers will also be eligible for the card.

The amount of medical marijuana will be graded in a unit called a Mississippi Medical Cannabis Equivalency Unit (MMCEU). One unit is equivalent to 3.5 grams of medical marijuana, 1 gram of medical marijuana concentrate, or 100 milligrams of THC in an infusion product. Mississippi residents with a medical marijuana card will be allowed to receive no more than six MMCEUs in a week and up to 24 MMCEUs in 30 days, the law says.

The signing comes a week after both the House and Senate passed the final version of the bill, which Reeves said includes notable improvements from previous versions such as allowing experts only health-care providers prescribe drugs for purposes within their scope of practice and prohibit cannabis dispensaries. located near church and school.

“I made it clear that the bill on my desk was not the one I wrote,” Reeves said. “But it is a fact that the legislators who wrote the final version of the bill (45th or 46th draft) made significant improvements to help us reach our end goal.”

In November 2020, a majority of Mississippi voters passed a medical marijuana initiative that allows people to buy up to 5 ounces per month, according to the AP news agency. The Mississippi Supreme Court later invalidated the vote, ruling that the state’s initiative process was outdated and the measure was not properly placed on the ballot, the AP said.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, medications containing cannabinoids may be helpful in treating conditions such as epilepsy, cancer-related nausea, loss of appetite, and weight loss-related HIV and AIDS.

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